The people show their patriotism and loyalty to the flag of the United
States in many ways. They are eager and quick to adopt American manners
and customs.
Just before sunset, the band comes into the Plaza at Ponce and plays the
"Star Spangled Banner" in front of headquarters as the American flag is
drawn down for the night.
The Puerto Ricans noticed that the American men took off their hats and
stood with uncovered heads while the flag made its descent; and now
they, too, show their loyalty by doffing their hats when the flag comes
down.
The people of Puerto Rico are extremely fond of music. Strolling bands
of guitar and mandolin players are numerous; and at evening time the air
is filled with music.
Each peasant makes his own guitar. It is a very curious instrument. This
guitar music is usually accompanied by music from another instrument
called a guida. This is made from the great curve-necked gourd. The
music or sound is made by passing a piece of umbrella wire up and down a
series of notches cut from end to end on the outside curve of the gourd.
The sound produced is much like that made by rubbing together two pieces
of sandpaper. We would not call it music at all, but the natives seem to
like it. No orchestra is complete without it, and one can hear the
scratching of this instrument almost any time, at any home in Puerto
Rico.
Sunday is a day not of rest, but of merry making. During the early
morning hours the Puerto Ricans go to church. After church, they hurry
away to the cockpit or to the bull ring in the suburbs of the town.
Very early in the morning we see numbers of roosters staked out by short
strings to pegs driven in the sidewalks. These are the game-cocks which
furnish to the Puerto Rican his favorite amusement and opportunity for
gambling.
They seem to realize their importance and keep up a great crowing,
sending challenges of defiance back and forth to each other. Their
owners take good care of them and endeavor to keep them in good
condition for fighting.
In the market places we see these fowls in wicker coops. Many venders of
food and other articles have game-cocks tied by strings to their stools
and stations.
When their owners have nothing else to do, they devote themselves to
training these birds; or they try to find some one willing to match them
in a contest.
The buildings where these fights take place are to be found in every
town and village. They are considered next in importance to the
cathedral and the town hall, and more important than the schools.
The cock fights are usually held on Sundays and holidays, and last the
greater part of the day. On the day set for these fights, the birds are
taken to the arena, descriptions given and amounts wagered. One fight
follows another, and large sums of money are lost and won.
BURDEN BEARING.
If a country is without good roads, it must employ human
burden-carriers; and many of these we see in Puerto Rico. Men and women
walk long distances through the country bearing heavy burdens upon their
heads, shoulders or backs.
The banana and plantain men carry their fruit fastened to poles. They
move along quite easily with two hundred pounds or more of fruit. On the
street and in the market place we hear the singsong notes of the
vegetable man telling us of the excellence of his wares. These he
carries on his head on an immense board, sometimes five feet long.
The dulce seller, too, carries his tray of cocoanut dulces, guava jelly
and other sweets on his woolly pate; as do also the sellers of fruits,
bread, cakes, bottled cocoanut milk and trinkets.
The hat weaver and the broom maker carry their wares on a shoulder pole,
with a load fastened to each end so as to balance it.
The milkman carries an open-mouthed ten-gallon milk can on his head.
From this dangle the ladles and measures he uses.
But he does not always deliver milk in this way. Sometimes he rides up
in front of the door astride his horse, and shouts "milk" at the top of
his voice.
On each side of his horse are fastened milk cans, and from these cans he
ladles without dismounting.
Sometimes he drives his cows before him and milks them at his customer's
door. This is the favorite method, because the milk is then sure to be
sweet.
[Illustration: A PUERTO RICAN HAT WEAVER.]
This is not always the case if the milk is carried some distance in the
hot sun, in uncovered tin cans.
The milkman always comes very early in the morning, and so does the
baker. If the baker is not on time, we must wait for our breakfast; for
bread is not baked in the house. It is always bought.
We can hear him long before he reaches our door, for he keeps up a
plaintive cry in order to attract our attention.
Sometimes our human bread wagon carries a great board or basket on his
head, and in this are as many as fifty loaves. (See illustration, page
26).
The butcher, on horseback, brings meat hanging from hooks in frames.
Much of the poultry is brought to town in great odd wicker coops strung
across the backs of ponies. Here is a poultry vender at the street
corner, with his inverted and excited merchandise suspended by strings
from his shoulder. (See page 22).
HOW THE PEOPLE TRAVEL.
Puerto Rico is a very delightful place to visit, but we do not care to
go there to live until there are better roads.
